2017 Mini John Cooper Works Hardtop Review

2017 Mini John Cooper Works Hardtop Review - When BMW returned Mini to our coasts for the 2002 model year, having actually finally dispensed with Sir Alec Issigonis's initial style after a lot of years in manufacturing, the outcome, honestly, was revelatory. Our precious Volkswagen GTI was suffering through an unpleasant phase, while the Honda Civic Si livinged with erratic availability and also had not been quite as impressive as it had been in years previous-- in fact, Ford's SVT Concentration won a contrast amongst the trio.

As we kept in mind at the time, we would have included the Cooper S in our examination, had Mini been able to make one offered. In knowledge, we believe it would've got on admirably, despite being a size-class below those other devices. Ever since, the hot-hatch market has heated in earnest, with Ford and VW at the top of their games. Meanwhile, the Mini we often suggest most is the bog-standard, three-cylinder 2017 Mini John Cooper Works Hardtop, not the a lot more effective but less-pleasant S. May the also zestier John Cooper Works design overcome our hostility and power its means right into our hearts?

2017 Mini John Cooper Works Hardtop Review

In brief, no. Real, it has 228 horsepower and also scoots to 60 miles per hour in 6.0 secs. At least one manual-equipped GTI we examined did the action in 5.8, regardless of weighing 241 pounds more and also suffering an 8-hp deficit. That specific VW commonly returned 1 mpg better gas economic situation. And also, as tested, cost $12,745 less than the JCW. That price difference allows enough that if you dug 70 bucks from the couch, you could possibly buy the Volkswagen and afterwards a Nissan Versa sedan. (We're not exactly sure just what you 'd finish with the Nissan, but we visualize you could discover a purpose for it. A wonderful planter, perhaps?) If we make the comparison on base costs, the 2016 GTI only damages the JCW by $5635. That would certainly nab you an utilized Suzuki Hayabusa-- another car that uploads much better numbers than the Mini.

To give the JCW its due, it does kip down nicely and handled to post 0.92 g on the skidpad, which ever so somewhat edges the GTI by.01 and places it on the same level with the very best number we have actually pulled from the superb Ford Feast ST. The Ford could be 1.0 2nd slower to 60 than the Mini, but the tiny bit of ST is just one of the best autos in terms of ride-and-handling balance available at any rate. The JCW, on the other hand, tends to collapse its means with bumps, its behavior expressive of a brick on wheels. Certain, its solid framework and also stiff suspension telegraph the road to you, yet the noise-to-signal ratio is exceptionally high up on the noise end.

2017 Mini John Cooper Works Hardtop Review

We could just think of that it 'd be a lot more of an extreme realm inside the JCW's cutesy cabin with the optional 18-inch moving stock. The much shorter sidewalls likely would exacerbate the squeaks as well as rattles that seem to be endemic to the modern-day Minis. We will not state it's always even worse in that regard than the 2017 Mini John Cooper Works Hardtop, yet the more gently sprung base Cooper is the just one of the three existing Hardtops that saw us return unruffled from a journey around our local handling loop.

Not that we're ethically opposed to being shaken up, mind you. It's just that the JCW leaves you feeling like you paid excessive for the advantage.

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